Display devices



Aug. 9, 1966 S. OFFSAY J3 FIGJ a H FIG.2 F I F IG.6

FIGJO FIG.4

INVENTOR I .Sm 0mm ,ATTORN EY.

United States Patent 3,264,766 DISPLAY DEVICES Sam Ofisay, New York, N.Y., assignor to Quadri, Inc., Queens, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Apr. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 359,083 Claims. (Cl. 40-36) The present invention relates to display devices and more particularly to the type in which a series of cards housed within a container, are automatically singly raised and then lowered back into the container, one after the other and this is endlessly repeated for as long a time as an actuating motor is operated.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a novel and improved display device of the character mentioned, which is extremely simple in construction and has a unique mode of operation. It is cheap to manufacture, easy to set up and is adaptable for many display situations. It requires no attention and is efiicient in carrying out the purposes for which it is designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For one practice of this invention, there is an upright box having a high back wall having a heightwise track therealong. A card-conveying member is mounted for movement along this track and it is adapted to be continuously reciprocated therealong by any suitable means which is preferably driven by an electric motor. This conveying member has a finger element which extends slanted upwardly forwardly in the box; the distal end of said finger being adapted to engage the upper edge of a depression in a card; such depression being in the rear surface of the card and said edge being near the upper edge of such card. All the cards are so provided and they stand on their lower edges, one against the other, on a floor within the box; such floor being slanted upwardly forwardly.

The cards face the front wall of the box and the rear card is against a supporting wall within the box; said supporting wall being slanted upwardly rearwardly and has a heightwise notch downwardly from its top edge to permit the finger to descend below'the top edge of the card to enter the depression in the rear card. In descending, the underside of the finger contacts the top edge of the rear card and acts as a cam to shift the stack of cards a bit forward. Further operation of the device will be described in detail, "but important to note is that after the finger lifts the rear card to expose it to view, it lowers it back into the box to be in front of the front card in the stack and such from card acts as a cam to detach the card being transported and cause it to fall and assume the position where it is the front card of the stack within the 'box. This of course occurs on the descent of the finger and hence the card which now is the rear card of the stack, is acted on by said finger to be the card next to be transported, first upwardly to be viewed and then downwardly to be the front card of the stack. This operation continues as long as the motor operates.

The cards besides carrying printed matter, may also carry thin flat articles of merchandise for display. As a further adaptation, the card-transporting slidable member may carry a box cover which sets on the box when the finger is down and moves upward and downward with the card being transported.

I will now set forth a preferred embodiment of this invention in detail as well as the various modifications which I have mentioned, for which I shall refer to the accompanying drawing, in which drawing, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a display device embodying teachings of this invention, but the cards have been omitted and part of the box structure has been broken away in order to show the interior structure.

'FIG. 2 is a reduced rear view of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the rear wall of the box structure on which is shown mounted, the card transporter and the means to reciprocate it along its track. This view is drawn to the scale of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of any of the cards.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the slanted wall against which the rear card of the stack normally rests.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a modified form of card-transporting member carrying a box lid or cover. This is a rear view.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a modified form of a display card carrying flat articles for exhibition.

FIGS. 8l2 are side views of the display device where a side wall of the box is removed and in particular, these views respectively illustrate the successive steps of operation.

In the drawing, the display device designated generally by the numeral 15, comprises a box 16 having a high rear wall 17 which is provided with a heightwise track slot 17' midway its side edges, along which slot a cardtransporting member indicated generally by the numeral 18 is arranged to be reciproca-ted by the action of the crank 19 fixed on the shaft of the electric motor 20 and the connecting rod 21 whose ends are pivotedly linked to the crank and the member 18. A counterweight 22 may be included on the cranks extension as shown. The motor 20 is mounted on a bracket 23 onto the rear surface of the rear wall 17 of the box 16 and of course, its associated crank and connecting rod are in back of said rear wall. The card-transporting member 18 pre sents forwardly of said rear wall 17, a finger 24 which slants upwardly forwardly. The box 16 has a downwardly rearwardly extending floor 25 on which stands a stack of display cards; the rearmost card 26 of which rests against a wall 27 which slants upwardly rearwardly; the latter having a notch 27 extending downwardly from its top edge to allow clearance for the finger 24 downward into the box 16, to its lowest position as shown in 'FIG. 11. Each card has a socket 28 in its rear, to admit the distal end 24' of the finger 24. This socket is preferably rectangular and is centrally of and very near the top edge of the card. The cards fit between the side ends of the box and stand wholly therewithin, in face-to-face contact.

The length and slope of the finger 24 and the respective slopes of the slanted floor 25 and the wall 27, shall be such that when a card as 29 in FIG. 8 is suspended on the fingers end 24, the plane of such card shall intersect the front surface of the front card 30 of the stack on the slanted floor 25; the underside of the finger 24, during the descent of the card-transporting member 18, shall contact the top edge of the rear card 26 and cam the cards in the stack to swing to increase their slope, but the front card 30 shall not fall forward. At the lowest position of the finger, its tip 24 shall have entered the socket 28 of the rear card. At the highest position of the said finger, the card it holds shall have been raised at least above the stack of cards and be exposed to view; the front wall of the box 16 being low enough to permit viewing of the raised card by persons standing in front of the device 15.

To operate, let the motor 20 run to cause the crank 19 and its connecting rod 21 to reciprocate along the track, the card-transporting member 18. Consider that the finger 24 at highest position, to have suspended therefrom a card 29 as in FIG. 8. Upon descent of the member 18, the lower end of the card 29, as shown in FIG. 9, will 3 contact the front surface of the front card 30- Which Sacts as a cam and eventually, the transported card 29 will become detached from said finger as the latter continues to descend as shown in FIG;=10. Meanwhile, as shown in .FIGS. 9 and 10, the underside of said-finger 24 will contactthe top edge of the rear card 26, and upon further. descent, will act as a cam to swing the stack upwardly forwardly to increase its slope and finally the tip end 24'- of the finger will come against the rear surface of the rear card 26 and enter its socket 28 as in FIG. 11.

Now up=on upward movement of the finger, it will lift the rear card 26 as shown in FIG. 12 which will assume: the raised position as the card 29 is in FIG. 8. 7

It is evident that this cycle of operation will endlessly repeat itself so long as the motor 20 is running. It is brought down to be the first card.

The cards can of course be changed and some or all of thernas 31, may have a front window for a chamber in which thin, flat articles of merchandise 32 are mounted for display. The cards need not be of equal thickness.

The card-transporting member may carry a box topa33 E having no back flange, so positioned thereon that it will close the box when said member is in its lowest position, and of course, the cover will be raised and lowered together with the card being transported; These instances are given as examples of various adaptations this device.

may be designed for.

The relative dimensions of the parts and practical slopes and the relative positions of the parts, are shown for example in the FIGS. 8-12 which are drawn to scale of a display device which has been constructed and suc-,

cessfully operated. Its cost of manufacture is extremely low, since the entire box structure and the cards may be and preferably are made of stiff-cardboard.

This invention is capable of numerous forms, and various applications without departing from the essential teaturesherein disclosed. It is therefore intended-and desired that the embodiments shown' herein shall be deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein set (forth; reference being had to the .rfiolloW-ing claims rather'than to the specific description and showings herein, to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. In a display device of the character described, a stack of standing, front facing cards; adjacent surfaces of successive cards being in con-tact; each card having a socket in its rear surface near its top edge, a floor sloping downwardly rearwardly; said cards standing on said floor, a support fixed in relation to said'floor; the rear card resting against said support whereby said cards are positioned sloping upwardly rear-wardly, an upright member is always the rear card inthe stack that is; raised and then slidable element whereby said tinger :moves with said element and means connected to said slidable element for reciprocating'it betweenpa loW'posit-ion and a high position; ;.the .underside of, said finger :during ;the .descent of said slidable-element,-contacting the top edge of the rear card, then camming said stack .of oardsEso-that each card is swung wherebyits, Vtopqedg'e moves [forwardly whereupon onzturther descentof said slidable elen1en=t,. the free end of'said finger enters and becomes engaged in.

the socket invthe rear! card and finally .upion ascent of said slidable element, saidfinger will lift the rear cardabove the remainingv cards; the: free .end of: said finger extending so that the plane of the card suspended therefrom intersects the front surface of thetfront card of the stacky the slope of all cards on 3thAflOOI fOICVCI remaining so that .such cards will be biased to-tall towards said support.

2. A display device as definedin claim 1, wherein the slope of the floor is approximately 221 degrees, the slope of each card standing thereon is approximately 78 degrees and the slope of the underside of the vfinger is approxi mately 63 degrees.-

3. A display ,deviceas defined in claim 1, including an upright wall fixed in relation to the floor and extending spaced and in tron-tof-saidstack of cards. adapted to shield from-view from in front ofsaidideivice, only the cards standing on said floor.

4. A display device as defined in claim 3, whereinthe:

upright member. having the tnack,.is behind said support and including side walls connecting said upright member and the front wall whereby the: stack of cards "are within an;enclosure around them; said upright member being a relatively high rear wall and 'saidifront and side walls being relatively low.

5. A displayv device as defined in'claim 4,-tincluding a lid extending from said slidable 'element above said finger whereby said lid will cover the top opening of said enclosure when said slidable element is. at its lowest position along the track.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A DISPLAY DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED, A STACK OF STANDING, FRONT FACING CARDS; ADJACENT SURFACES OF SUCCESSIVE CARDS BEING IN CONTACT; EACH CARD HAVING A SOCKET IN ITS REAR SURFACE NEAR ITS TOP EDGE, A FLOOR SLOPING DOWNWARDLY REARWARDLY; SAID CARDS STANDING ON SAID FLOOR, A SUPPORT FIXED IN RELATION TO SAID FLOOR; THE REAR CARD RESTING AGAINST SAID SUPPORT WHEREBY SAID CARDS ARE POSITIONED SLOPING UPWARDLY REARWARDLY, AN UPRIGHT MEMBER FIXED IN RELATION TO SAID FLOOR, HAVING A HEIGHTWISE TRACK, AN ELEMENT MOUNTED FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT ALONG SAID TRACK, A FREELY EXTENDING FINGER SLOPING UPWARDLY FORWARDLY; THE LOWER END OF SAID FINGER BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SLIDABLE ELEMENT WHEREBY SAID FINGER BEING CONNECTED TO SAID ELEMENT AND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID SLIDABLE ELEMENT FOR RECIPROCATING IT BETWEEN A LOW POSITION AND A HIGH POSITION; THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID FINGER DURING THE DESCENT OF SAID SLIDABLE ELEMENT, CONTACTING THE TOP EDGE OF THE REAR CARD, THEN CAMMING SAID STACK OF CARDS SO THAT EACH CARD IS SWUNG WHEREBY ITS TOP EDGE MOVES FORWARDLY WHEREUPON ON FURTHER DESCENT OF SAID SLIDABLE ELEMENT, THE FREE END OF SAID FINGER ENTERS AND BECOMES ENGAGED IN THE SOCKET IN THE REAR CARD AND FINALLY UPON ASCENT OF SAID SLIDABLE ELEMENT, SAID FINGER WILL LIFT THE REAR CARD ABOVE THE REMAINING CARDS; HE FREE END OF SAID FINGER EXTENDING SO THAT THE PLANE OF THE CARD SUSPENDED THEREFROM INTERSECTS THE FRONT SURFACE OF THE FRONT CARD OF THE STACK; THE SLOPE OF ALL CARDS ON THE FLOOR FOREVER REMAINING SO THAT SUCH CARDS WILL BE BIASED TO FALL TOWARDS SAID SUPPORT. 